Advice on using legacy choice for residential college?

<p>My son has the option to choose Silliman, but is wondering about giving up the old campus experience. Any thoughts on this from current Yale students? Also, if he doesn't use his legacy option, will he enter the draw on different terms than students who should just have a 1/12 chance of being placed anywhere? This policy doesn't seem fair to all, but since it exists, I am wondering how it works for a student who does not use his choice option. Thanks.</p>

<p>I would think that the kids in 10 of the res colleges would tell you that giving up Old Campus would be crazy. And the ones in the other two (my daughter is in TD) would say that living the the res college freshman year is the absolute best. </p>

<p>Thank you Donnaleighg!</p>

<p>Choosing the same residential college enhances the bond with the parent who was in that college–it also makes visiting more fun for the parent. Legend has it that if you reject the legacy college, you are more likely to be placed into Morse or Stiles, but I doubt if that’s true.</p>

<p>Let me put it this way–the normal system randomly places you into the best residential college at Yale. If you’re a legacy, you have the chance to choose a college that your parent already knows is the best.</p>

<p>Are Morse & Stiles that bad?</p>

<p>I’ve heard that Morse and Stiles have great masters, and that students really like them. I don’t think my son is that interested in his parents’ opinions on this choice anyway =) Thank you Hunt.</p>

<p>They’re not bad; they’re just different. No gothic architecture… more of a modern look. But, from what I could tell during Bdog Days, they seemed to have the best indoor facilities </p>

<p>My 12 year old loved the Morse architecture and said he wants to be a Morsel if he goes there.</p>

<p>I have a child in Stiles who, of course, loves it. Great facilities, great master/dean, great food, great friends. Close to gym and stores. Also, many fun traditions that build camaraderie. Great freshman housing on Old Campus too!</p>

<p>Okay, born and raised in NHV but no true knowledge of the residential colleges. I spoke to a fellow CC member whose dd is a freshman at Yale, lives in Branford College & loves it. I visited TD last week during BDD but the tour guide didn’t take us to any of the dorm rooms. </p>

<p>DD said that a few of the students told her that not all of the colleges are equal…not sure what they meant by that so I was curious. </p>

<p>They’re not all the same, but each one is the best.</p>

<p>Lol @Hunt‌, thanks for clearing that up! LOLOL </p>

<p>I’m in Silliman so I’m biased, but it’s definitely the way to go. I can honestly say, based on my experiences with each college, that if I got to pick my college it’d still be Silliman. (Second would be Branford). Morse and Stiles aren’t bad, they have the best dining, but they also look crazy and a lot of the rooms are really weirdly structured. Silliman has the 3rd best dining after M+S, the largest college courtyard, and among the nicest basement facilities. The “Old Campus experience” is way over hyped. I was originally bummed I’d be missing out, but the thing is, you can always walk to OC on any Friday or Saturday night, and have quiet and huge Silliman to come back to. Living in your college is great because you become super close to your college’s freshman class, and you don’t have to wait til sophomore year to live in your college which is really what Yale is all about.</p>

<p>litotes - Thank you for sharing your experience in Silliman. I’m thrilled that my son will experience Yale. </p>

<p>My daughter choose JE which is my residential college - and of course the best one!! JE is having its first ever all class reunion this September, so I am looking forward to going up for that and experiencing it with my child there.</p>

<p>I know that this thread is old, but I’ll throw in my two cents before it gets too old. Yale is famous for the “residential college experience,” not the “Old Campus experience.” The “Old Campus experience” is really only something you hear about among prefrosh the summer before freshman year. Midway through the year you don’t hear kids raving about the “Old Campus experience” but you always hear people talking about how much they love their residential college and how great the “residential college experience” is. I didn’t live on Old Campus my freshman year and I couldn’t be happier about it.</p>

<p>Whether or not you choose to be in Silliman or TD or just end up there by chance, I guarantee that it will be the best thing that has ever happened to you.</p>

<p>And if you end up in Old Campus, it will also be best thing that has ever happened to you. :)</p>

<p>It’s all good.</p>